PHOTOSYNTHETICA

Photosynthetica 2011, 49(2):239-245 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-011-0030-2

Photosynthetic rate, needle longevity, and nutrient contents in Picea glehnii growing on strongly acidic volcanic ash soil in northern Japan

M. Kayama^1,*, F. Satoh², T. Koike³

¹ Kyushu Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kumamoto, Japan

² FSC, Hokkaido University Forests, Sapporo, Japan

³ Silviculture & Forest Ecological Studies, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

Picea glehnii Masters can grow in strongly acidic volcanic ash soil (pH 3.6) in northern Japan. We compared needle longevity, photosynthetic rate, and concentrations of elements in needles, in mature trees of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil and in brown forest soil (pH 5.4). P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil showed suppressed photosynthetic rate and growth by the deficiency in nitrogen compared with its growth in brown forest soil. However, the younger needles of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil maintained a high photosynthetic rate, as a result of large amounts of remobilized nitrogen from senesced needles. Needles of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil did not show deficiencies in Ca, Mg, or K. Moreover, Al was at low levels in the needles, suggesting that P. glehnii was able to avoid Al toxicity by Al exclusion. P. glehnii thus exhibits great ability to adapt to an acidic environment.

Keywords: needle longevity; nitrogen retranslocation; nutrient physiology; photosynthetic rate; solfatara; spruce

Received: September 13, 2010; Accepted: March 26, 2011; Published: June 1, 2011Show citation